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A. M. K. Walls, The Sentiment of Spending. Intimate Relationships and the Consumerist Environment in the Works of Zola, Rachilde, Maupassant, and Huysmans

A. M. K. Walls, The Sentiment of Spending. Intimate Relationships and the Consumerist Environment in the Works of Zola, Rachilde, Maupassant, and Huysmans

Publié le par Gabriel Marcoux-Chabot (Source : Site web de la maison d'édition)

WALLS, Alison M. K., A. M. K. Walls, The Sentiment of Spending. Intimate Relationshipsand the Consumerist Environment in the Works of Zola, Rachilde,Maupassant, and Huysmans, New York / Bern / Berlin / Bruxelles / Frankfurt am Main / Oxford / Wien, Peter Lang, 2008, 164 p.
ISBN 978-1-4331-0272-1

RÉSUMÉ

The nineteenth century saw a fundamental change in the practice andpsychology of shopping with the appearance of the department store: LaSamaritaine in Paris (1869), Macy's in New York (1858) and Harrods inLondon (1849) were early representations of Western consumer culture. The Sentiment of Spendingexamines this shift first on a socio-historic level and then throughthe literary lens of some of the century's most vital authors, theexponents of Naturalism - Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, and Jori-KarlHuysmans - as well as the fascinating, if rarely studied, Rachilde. Inthe works discussed, the characters reveal through their interpersonal,sexual, and sentimental relationships the penetrating effects of aconsumerist culture. As both a literary and social analysis, this bookalso addresses the moral question inherent in a world where shoppingand sentiment are so inextricably intertwined. The Sentiment of Spendingprovides profound insights into some essential texts, and is anengaging read for anyone with an interest in French literature and itsreflection of our society.

BIOGRAPHIE

Alison M. K. Walls was born in Wellington, New Zealand and holds aMaster's degree in French from Victoria University of Wellington, aswell as a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College inNew York. Her work on Zola and Rachilde has been published by The New Zealand Journal of French Studies.